Gone Birding in Costa Rica

Great green macaw (photo from Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons license)

19 January 2026: Day 1, Fly to San Jose, Costa Rica — Road Scholar Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans

Today I’m on my way to Road Scholar Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Map of Central America (image from Wikimedia Commons)
Map of Central America (image from Wikimedia Commons)

Our tour begins with dinner tonight at our lodging in Peidades. Tomorrow we start nine days of travel in northern Costa Rica: from San José Province to the Gulf of Nicoya, Caño Negro, Sarapiquí, La Selva Biological Station, Arenal Volcano Park and a finca in the cloud forest. Expand Road Scholar’s Google map of our route to see more.

Road Scholar tour route in Costa Rica (image from Wikimedia Commons, altered to show route in green)
Costa Rica tour in 2017

Back in January 2017 I visited Costa Rica and saw many of the species expected on this tour though we covered a different part of the country — the southern half from the Pacific coast to the continental divide (map at left, 292 species, 209 Life Birds). There will be a few familiar North American breeding birds whose range includes Costa Rica — snail kite (below), Baltimore orioles and golden-winged warblers. And thanks to unique habitats in the north I’m sure to see Life Birds.

Snail kite (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Here’s a sampling of what’s on tap, many of which will be Life Birds.

Because of our all-day birding schedule I’ve written 11 days of articles in advance. I’ll post to social media when I get a chance but I can’t guarantee it. If you don’t see me on Facebook, etc, look for my latest posts here on the blog’s home page.

For now, I’m mostly off the grid until I return to Pittsburgh on Thursday night, 29 January.

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